NewSpace Systems, a Cape Town-based advanced manufacturer of satellite subsystems and components with main facilities in South Africa and a subsidiary in the United Kingdom, has won a bid to supply 5 of its 6 core satellite components to a space agency in Asia, according to the company’s latest newsletter.
“Without giving too much away, we’re excited to announce that as of this month, the NewSpace Systems (NSS) team will be supporting yet another space agency in achieving their national satellite strategy. Being that this is happening as a result of a competitive tender, this highlights the competitiveness of NewSpace in the international market”, said the company in its latest newsletter.
Although the newsletter did not reveal the name of the contracting agency, the company hinted that the deal will support an undisclosed “Asian nation” to achieve its national satellite programme. The company will supply 5 out of its 6 core components and sub-systems to the Asian nation.
This deal further illustrates NewSpace Systems’ growing competitiveness in the international market. Created through a joint venture agreement between South African company SCS Aerospace Group and the Dutch SSBV Group in 2013, NewSpace Systems has now added 11 national space agencies to its clientele spanning 5 continents, bringing the total number of customers to nearly 50 worldwide.
Over the past six years, the company has developed its expertise in the area of attitude control solutions for small satellites. The company’s product range includes reaction wheels, sun sensors; GPS receivers and antennas, magnetometers; magnetorquer rods, stellar gyros; star mappers, and CubeSat attitude control solutions.
NewSpace Systems has SO 14644-1 certified cleanrooms for manufacturing of satellite subsystems and components. An instance of the company’s space heritage includes nSight-1, a commercial private nanosatellite developed in South Africa, which was assembled in the company’s cleanroom in South Africa.
The company is currently developing patch antenna solutions suitable for S-Band receive and S-band transmit requirements.
The company, in its newsletter, noted that it has “exported its products to about 20 countries and has partners/ resellers in 7 countries across 5 continents including the United Kingdom, United States, China, Japan, Taiwan, The Netherlands and India to simplify the procurement, contracting and export process”.
Some of NewSpace Systems clients include NASA, European Space Agency, Mitsubishi and Planetary Resources, among others.
